Every Nespresso Vertuo Master Origins Pod, Ranked Worst To Best

One of Nespresso's most famous pod collections is its Vertuo Master Origins line. The collection features a series of single-origin pods that have been created by "master craftsmen" (thus the name) from around the globe. It offers Nespresso lovers a chance to sample a region's best flavors. It's hard to choose an absolute favorite from the Vertuo collection — in fact, some would say it's impossible. But I decided to take on the challenge of ranking all of Nespresso's pods in its Vertuo Master Origins line. I'd certainly say that you should give all of them a try at some point, but if you need a little help deciding which one to try first, read on.

I'm a former barista and the proud owner of a Vertuo Pop+ — a compact version of Nespresso's Vertuo machine — which is what I used for these rankings. I drank all the brews hot and made sure to try them as soon as the machine finished brewing them. Although you certainly can enjoy them as a latte, I added absolutely nothing to the brews before I reviewed them.

As a barista, I know that coffee is subjective. The goal of this ranking is to find the best coffee generally — not the one that I personally prefer the most. I sampled each Nespresso Vertuo Master Origins coffee and ranked them based on factors like their tasting notes, the uniqueness of their flavors, and the overall enjoyment that I got from drinking them.

Some recommendations are based on firsthand impressions of promotional materials and products provided by the manufacturer.

I'm ranking the Vertuo Mexico coffee pod last on the list, but let me be clear: It was delicious. Honestly, it's impossible to go wrong with the Master Origins lineup. So, if you're a fan of Nespresso's Mexico brew, don't leave me hate mail just yet — I genuinely enjoyed this coffee.

Mexico is one of the strongest brews Nespresso has to offer in its Master Origins line. It's a dark roast that comes off as pleasantly earthy. It's very strong, but still manages to be smooth — which is absolutely delightful. It's also much more intense flavor-wise than some of the other pods on this list. This coffee is not very acidic. It has a woody, more vegetal flavor, which really sets it apart from some of the other fruitier coffees I reviewed. I would say that the Costa Rica brew is slightly stronger than Mexico's pod, but it's a close call.

Mexico's coffee pod is made with Robusta beans rather than Arabica, which changes its flavor profile a bit. I'm not ranking it last because I'm an Arabica snob, but because the choice of beans contributes to the powerful, almost bitter flavor of this brew. It's something you'll want to know if you do or don't like Robusta beans. I do think that this Mexico pod is going to be most appealing to those who prefer dark roasts. It's more intense than other brews, which may or may not be for you depending on how you like your coffee. But if you're a fan of earthier coffees, Mexico is right on target.

Colombia is a light blend. It's actually one of the least intense pods out of the entire Vertuo Master Origins lineup. This coffee is bright, fresh, and not at all overpowering. It has absolutely no bitterness to it whatsoever — just acidity. And it has a very gentle fruitiness to it that lingers just slightly on the tongue. Here's the thing: If you're a fan of lighter roasts and want a pleasantly muted coffee, Colombia is the pod for you. You can pause reading this article and go order it right now, and I promise you, your opinion won't change by the end.

In terms of the rest of this Nespresso line, I opted to rank brews that were more flavorful higher up on the list. I think they're more appealing to more people — and honestly, when it comes to a Master Origins lineup, I think more fun and experimental brews should be ranked more favorably. But I have to acknowledge that there is something masterful about creating a brew that no one can say anything bad about, too.

The Colombia pod made a good drink because it's simple. It's not overwhelming. It's smooth. It's light. It's slightly fruity. It's just plain good coffee. I would drink it every morning — in fact, I probably will.

It's important to note that the Peru Organic pod is an espresso — not a coffee like the other Vertuo Master Origins options. This makes it a completely different drink than the others — which also means that it was a little bit more difficult to compare to the other brews. Peru's strongest notes are of berries. What I loved about this Nespresso pod was that it had a very flavorful aftertaste — this is when the fruity flavors really shine through. It has a well-balanced acidity to it and is robust — which makes sense for an espresso. Peru's brew also came off as slightly earthy, which was a nice way to balance the brightness of the berries and acidity. It's a relatively full-bodied espresso, but it's not the strongest roast out of all the pods I sampled.

If you're a fan of espresso yourself, the Peru pods will likely have everything you're looking for. But honestly, I would recommend it to those who don't drink espresso regularly. It's delicious on its own, and it's a fun drink to try. I think that's exactly what the Master Origins line is all about.

Costa Rica's packaging says that its primary flavor note is cereal. Needless to say, I was impressed. It really does taste like cereal — like deliciously earthy grains. It's balanced, hearty, and a little nutty. It's not overbearing at all, nor is it overpoweringly bitter. It's one of the strongest brews from Nespresso's Vertuo Master Origins series, but it doesn't taste offensive to the palate.

The Costa Rica brew is rich, creamy, and very smooth. It sits nicely on the tongue and has a pleasant flavor to it. I would say it's the most full-bodied coffee on the list, though this can vary slightly based on personal preferences. Even though it's not very acidic, it still has a very pleasant flavor to it.

I will say that Costa Rica's pod was one of my personal favorites on this list (and trust me, it's hard to choose). I loved it a lot — the flavor was so unique yet appealing to me. But, much more importantly than what I like, I think that everyone will love the Costa Rica pods. I don't think it matters whether you love or hate earthy flavors or whether you're confused by what, exactly, a cereal-flavored coffee tastes like. I'll tell you right now: It tastes delicious, and you should try it.

I felt that El Salvador really stole the spotlight in the Vertuo Master Origins lineup — and trust me, that's hard to do. Most impressive to me was the fact that the El Salvador pod is supposed to taste jammy, according to Nespresso — and it really does! It has a light hint of sweetness; it's not overwhelming, but it perfectly complements the brew. It's more flavorful and a slightly stronger roast than Colombia's, but it's not a dark roast by any means. It's pleasantly acidic and not at all bitter. 

I felt like El Salvador was the kind of coffee I would recommend to just about anyone — whether you're trying Nespresso for the first time and have no idea what you like, or if you're a total coffee expert. It's truly a coffee that can please anyone who tries it.

Truthfully, every coffee in this Nespresso lineup was delicious — and there's something for everyone in the Vertuo Master Origins line. But I think that El Salvador is the perfect coffee for absolutely anyone to start with — it's just that versatile. As a former barista, I have to appreciate that. It's hard to make a coffee that everyone will like, and I think Nespresso absolutely nailed it.

So, how exactly did I manage to rank Nespresso's Vertuo Master Origins lineup? Let me tell you, it was nearly impossible — because I can honestly say that there was no bad coffee in the entire line. Every single drink was delicious. I was pulling my hair out by the end, but I managed to come up with a ranking.

Since coffee blends are truly up to individual preference, I ranked the pods based on how appealing I thought they would be to a wide demographic of coffee lovers, rather than just focusing on my personal favorite flavors. I also opted to rank the brews with strong, exciting flavors higher on the list, though I did not rank based on brew strength. As I sipped each coffee, I took into account how accurate I felt its flavors matched its tasting notes, since that would allow me to rank them more objectively. 

Using Nespresso's delightful Vertuo Pop+ to make the coffees, I went from the lightest roasts to the strongest roasts to avoid overwhelming my palate. I also made one after the other to compare them as immediately as I could. I used the entire Nespresso coffee pod and drank them all hot and black as soon as the Vertuo Pop+ was done making them.